Dental-engine hand-piece



(No Model.) 7

S. R. vSGREVEN.

DENTAL ENGINE HAND PIEGE.

No. 288,499. Patented Nov. 13, 18183.

' WITNESSES:

' UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

SPARKMANR, SOREVEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

- DENTAL-ENGINE HAND-PIECE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,499, dated November 13, 1883.

Application filed December 22, 1882. (No model.)

I 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SPARKMAN R. SoREvEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, Stateof Penn sylvania, have invented a new and useful Iniprovement. in Dental-Engine Instruments; which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand-piece, partlysectional, having my invention applied to it. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of an instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section and side elevation of another instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation and longitudinal section of another instrument embodying my invention. in line as 00, Fig. 3.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in forming a dentalengine instrument of two parts, which are detachably connected by a tongue and groove,

the tongue being in one piece with one of said parts, and flush with the exterior thereof when they are fastened together. The hand-piece controls the interlocking devices of the two parts, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a hand -piece of adental engine, and B aninstrument adapted to be fitted and secured thereto. The instrument is formed-of two parts, a b, the part a being the instrument proper, and thepart b being a socket which receives the butt-end of the part a and is locked thereto, said socket being adapted to be fitted within the hand-piece and connected therein by any suitable means, it being seen that when the engine is operated thetwo parts a b rotate as one similarto dental-engine instruments in use. When the part a is broken, it is removed and replaced by a fresh piece, said part a being the only loss, as. the part b or socket remains intact, ready for application of the fresh piece or part. Furthermore, al though numerous instruments are employed by a dentist, and often many changes are required in an operation, only a single. socket part is necessary for the number of instruments, thus effecting a great savingin the cost of instruments of the class. The same instru ment may be used with any hand-piece, pro- Fig. 5 is a section.

,vided the socket part is adapted to be fitted to said piece.

In the wall of the socket part b, near the front end thereof, is formed a longitudinallyextending recess, in which is fitted a springtongue, 0, whose inner face has a nose, 0, and in the butt-end of the part a is a groove or notch, (I, so disposed that it is adapted to receive the nose of the tongue. The tongue 0 is adapted to yield, but has no hinge, being rigidly connected with the part b as one or integral. Its exterior coincides or is flush with the curvature of the remainder of the surface of the part b, so that when thetongue is closed the part b and tongue 0 present an unbroken surface, which is encircled by the cylindrical wall of the contiguous part of the hand-piece. Now, when the socket part is inserted into the hand-piece, the sleeve of the latter encircles,

the socket part, and consequently the tongue ing the nose 0 into the groove or notch d, and locking the two parts a b as one, the sleeve of the hand-piece controlling said tongue 0, and causing a firm connection of the instrument with said handpiece. In order to remove the instrument, the hand-piece is operated to disengage or unlock the socket part from said piece, after which both parts a b may be withdrawn as one from the hand-piece. The part a is then rotated, whereby the portion of said part on the right or left of the groove or notch d raises the tongue 0 clear of said groove or notch, so that the part a may be drawn out from the socket b.

I am aware that it is not new to make a dental-engine implement of two detachable parts, these parts being connected by a spring-catch, and one part fitting into the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

A dentalengine instrument formed of a, two partsviz., asocket part and the instrument part propersaid parts having a tongue and.

groove, respectively, said tongue being in one piece with its part and flush with the exterior thereof, substantially as and for the purpose 

